Emiliano Sala
| image = | fullname = Emiliano Raúl Sala Taffarel | dateofbirth = | cityofbirth = Cululú | countryofbirth = Argentina | dateofdeath = | cityofdeath = English Channel, off Alderney | countryofdeath = | height = | position = Forward | currentclub = | clubnumber = | youthyears = 1994–2005 2005–2009 2010–2012 | youthclubs = Club San Martín de Progreso Proyecto Crecer Bordeaux | years = 2009 2012–2015 2012–2013 2013–2014 2015 2015–2019 2019 Total | clubs = Crato Bordeaux → Orléans (loan) → Niort (loan) → Caen (loan) Nantes Cardiff City | caps(goals) = 1 (2) 11 (1) 37 (19) 37 (18) 13 (5) 120 (42) 0 (0) 219 (87) | nationalyears = | nationalteam = | nationalcaps(goals) = | manageryears = | managerclubs = }} Emiliano Raúl Sala Taffarel (born 31 October 1990 – 21 January 2019) was an Argentine professional footballer who played as a forward and was contracted to Premier League side Cardiff City at the time of his death. After playing youth football in Argentina and following a short spell in Portugal's regional leagues, Sala began his professional career in France with Bordeaux, making his professional debut in February 2012. After struggling to break into the first team, he was loaned out to Championnat National side Orléans and Ligue 2 side Niort in consecutive seasons. He enjoyed prolific spells with both clubs, scoring 39 goals between them, before returning to Bordeaux. After initially being promised an increased role after his successful loans, Sala fell out of favour again, and instead, joined fellow Ligue 1 side Caen on loan. In 2015, he signed for Nantes on a permanent basis. With Nantes, he made more than 100 appearances in Ligue 1, and achieved a successful goalscoring record, finishing as the club's top goalscorer for three consecutive seasons. His form prompted a move to Cardiff City in January 2019, for a club record fee of £15 million (€18 million). Sala was killed in a plane crash on 21 January 2019, after the Piper Malibu he was aboard crashed off the island of Alderney, which was flying from Nantes to Cardiff. Guernsey Police initially searched for three days over 1,700 square miles (4,400 km2) across the English Channel, before called off after deeming the likelihood of the aircraft occupants surviving the incident being "extremely remote". Two subsequent private searches were launched, which eventually yielded the wreckage and Sala's body on 7 February. Disappearance and death After completing his medical at Cardiff, Sala returned to Nantes on the morning of 19 January on a plane arranged by football agent Mark McKay. His intention was to return to Cardiff on 21 January in order to attend his first training session with his new club the following morning. Sala had been invited to attend Cardiff's match against Newcastle United by manager Neil Warnock but chose to return to France in order to say goodbye to his Nantes teammates and collect personal belongings. On 22 January, there was reported to be "genuine concern" that Sala was onboard a missing aircraft, a Piper Malibu, which was flying from Nantes to Cardiff. The aircraft, the same which he had travelled to Nantes in two days earlier, had gone missing off Alderney on 21 January. It was confirmed later the same day that he was a passenger on the missing aircraft, along with 59-year-old pilot David Ibbotson. On 23 January 2019, Channel Islands Air Search said there was "no hope" of finding any survivors in the water. An audio message allegedly sent by Sala to his friends via WhatsApp from the plane was released by Argentine media outlet Olé, in which he can be heard telling them: "Hello, my brothers, how are you? Boy, I’m tired. I was here in Nantes taking care of things, things, things, things, things, things, and it never stops, it never stops, it never stops. Anyway guys, I’m up in this plane that feels like it's falling to pieces, and I’m going to Cardiff. It's crazy, we start tomorrow. Training in the afternoon, guys, in my new team… Let's see what happens. So, how's it going with you guys, all good? If in an hour and a half you have no news from me, I don't know if they are going to send someone to look for me because they cannot find me, but you will know… Dad, I'm scared!" At 15:15 GMT on 24 January 2019, after a "very thorough and extensive search" including 80 hours of combined searching undertaken by three planes, five helicopters and two lifeboats, Guernsey Police announced that they had called off the search for the plane or survivors. The decision led to calls worldwide for the search to continue which included numerous other footballers, including fellow Argentine players Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuaín, Sergio Agüero and former player Diego Maradona. The president of Argentina, Mauricio Macri, stated his intention to issue a formal request to the British and French governments for the search to resume. An online petition also attracted over 65,000 signatures and Sala's family later announced their intention to fund a private search. Over £280,000 has been raised for a private search on GoFundMe started by Sports Cover, a sports agency that represents Sala. The funds enabled the search to resume on 26 January, with two boats being launched, led by marine scientist David Mearns. On 28 January, plans were announced for an underwater search to begin "within a week", dependant on weather conditions, using an unmanned remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) to search an area of seabed north of Hurd's Deep. On 29 January, Cardiff City included Sala on the team sheet for their game against Arsenal, with a daffodil next to his name in lieu of a squad number. On 30 January 2019, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch reported that they had found two seat cushions, which had washed up on a French beach, that were believed to be from the missing aircraft. On 3 February, it was announced that another underwater search for the aircraft had begun, using the AAIB's Geo Ocean III vessel which, together with a privately-funded vessel, was conducting sonar surveys. The planned search, lasting three days, would cover an area of 4 square nautical miles (14 km²; 5.3 sq mi), about 24 nautical miles (44 km; 28 mi) north of Guernsey. At approximately 21:11 GMT, six hours after the new search had begun, it was reported that wreckage from the aircraft had been found on the seabed. The wreckage was at a depth of about 63 metres (207 ft) and there was a possibility that the bodies of both Sala and David Ibbotson, the pilot, were still onboard. On 4 February, investigators stated that there was one body visible inside the wreckage. On 7 February, it was reported that a body had been recovered from the wreckage. The body was taken to the Isle of Portland to be passed to the Dorset coroner. Later that day, the body was formally identified as that of Sala by Dorset Police. Nantes subsequently retired his number 9 jersey. External links * Category:1990 births Category:2019 deaths Category:Deceased Players Category:Players Category:Forwards Category:Argentine players Category:FC Girondins de Bordeaux players Category:US Orléans players Category:Chamois Niortais F.C. players Category:Stade Malherbe Caen players Category:Cardiff City F.C. players Category:FC Nantes players Category:Ligue 1 players Category:Ligue 2 players Category:Championnat National players